Sand, Sea and Stars: Camping Overnight at Yeonpo Beach

Camping is very popular in Korea because of the abundance of natural scenery on offer. Whether you’re beneath a mountain, at a lakeside, deep in the forest or on sandy shores, there’s nothing better than pitching a tent and sleeping under the stars. As I was on summer vacation, I decided to camp at Yeonpo Beach, South Chungcheong Province. Yeonpo beach is a popular summer destination amongst locals and tourists and its not difficult to see why. It is a long, white sand beach with a lush pine forest attached. Moreover, the sea water is cool and refreshing in the hot summer. There is also a camping ground on the beach front for those who want to sleep under the stars.

Yeonpo Beach Camping Ground

Summer is the ideal season for camping and the beach, so beach camping seemed like a no brainer! My friends and I live in Pyeongtaek and Yeonpo beach was only a 1h 30m drive away. We brought our own tents, as well as a canopy, portable grill, meat, snacks and board games. We arrived into Yeonpo around lunchtime and looked for a spot to pitch our tent. It was so lovely, the camping site is right on the beach front but shaded by tall pine trees, so it was easy to keep cool. What’s more, the parking lot was right next to the campsite so we could unload our things easily.

As we arrived, a staff member came over to collect the camp ground usage fee. We pitched our tent while cooking up some grilled meat for lunch. It was too hot to go swimming so we chilled out in our tents for a while.

Yeonpo Beach

By late afternoon the campsite was rather crowded and so we were relieved that we arrived earlier in the day to secure our spot. The temperature was cooler around this time and many people were playing in the water and on the sand. We set up our canopy on the beach — essential for protecting ourselves from the sun — and some of us went swimming, while others played volleyball. Additionally, there were many children building sandcastles, creating a happy atmosphere. My friends and I were able to witness a stunning sunset on the beach as we paddled in the water.

Dinner

For dinner, we decided to buy a few side dishes to eat along with some leftover grilled meat from lunch. However, a few minutes walk from the camp ground were many restaurants as well as convenience stores and supermarkets, so we had plenty of choice. We bought some fried chicken and ramyeon, a traditional picnic combination in Korea. Indeed, many of our fellow campers were cooking up noodles for dinner that night.

Fireworks

The nearby shops also sold other beach toys and accessories such as hats, sandals and floats. Moreover, many of them sold fireworks. We decided to purchase some small fireworks as not to disturb the other campers too much. Regardless, the small fireworks lit up the dark beach and some children came out of their tents to watch the fireworks with us.

The Night

Once the sky was dark, the camp ground was quiet. Most people were sleeping in their tents, while others were sitting outside having drinks and chatting. We set up our canopy between our tents and played board games for most of the night.

The Next Morning

In the morning, after just a few hours of sleep, we went and bought some bread for our breakfast. Most of the other campers had left by the time we woke up, but we decided to enjoy the beach a little longer. Once we had finished our breakfast, we strolled the beach a final time before packing up to leave. We left around 10am, while new campers were arriving to set up their tents.

Camping Ground Usage Fee

               Overnight        Day
Large Tent     40,000 won       30,000 won
Small Tent     30,000 won       20,000 won

Location and Getting There

Address: 14-3 san Donghwang-ri, Geunheung-myeon, Taean-gun, South Chungcheong
Contact: 041-674-0909 or text 010-8542-8252
Website: yeonpo.net

Getting There